STANFORD, Calif. – After trading blows and playing to a 4-3 score over the first 54 minutes, No. 1 Stanford settled in and tallied the final three goals in a 7-3 victory over Alabama in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night from Stanford’s Cagan Stadium.
The Cardinal, which improved to 18-1-2 on the season, received braces from seniors Jasmine Aikey and Elise Evans.
The first opponent to hang three goals on the Cardinal this season, Alabama had its overall record finish at 11-9-2.
The Cardinal dominated the offensive numbers in the victory, posting a 40-5 advantage in shots and a 22-0 advantage in corner kicks. Despite the lopsided stats, Alabama kept the match close with an efficient attack that saw the Crimson Tide put four of its five goals on frame for three goals.
Aikey got the scoring started in the fourth minute when she headed home one of the early offerings from Mia Bhuta at the corner flag for her 16th goal of the year.
Alabama’s Gianna Paul, who also managed a brace in the match, scored her first of the night in the 12th minute to draw level.
Andrea Kitahata put the Cardinal back on top at 2-1 in the 18th minute when Eleanor Klinger played a ball to the back post that skipped perfectly into the path of the redshirt senior who buried her left-footed shot into the net for her 14th of the year.
Responding once more, Alabama drew back even on breakaway goal from Madeline Padelski in the 34th minute.
Stanford’s star center back, Evans sandwiched a brace around halftime – scoring a pair of goals in a span of eight minutes of playing time. Evans struck for her first tally in the 41st minute as she headed in a cross from Charlotte Kohler before once again getting on the end of a lofted ball from Kohler in the 48th minute for what proved to be the game-winner.
The brace was the first of Evans’ illustrious career on The Farm, and ran her season goal total to seven.
Paul gave the Crimson Tide life once more with an impressive strike for her second goal of the night in the 54th minute, but Stanford answered with goals in the 74th, 88th and 90th minutes to blow the match open.
Aikey completed her fourth brace of the season in the 74th minute as she curled a beautiful left-footed shot into the back of the net to run her season goal total to 17.
Freshman Y-Lan Nguyen notched her second goal of the year in the 88th minutes as she uncorked a shot from distance after fellow freshman Brooke Holden battled to keep a ball alive in…
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